The rich history of Islamic education in the Republic of Uzbekistan goes back more than 12 centuries. As early as the IX century, there was an extensive network of madrasahs in the historical territories of the republic. In the XV-XIX centuries, the centres of higher education known to the Muslim world were built. They include Mir-i Arab, Sher Dor, Ulugbek, Tilla Kori, Kukeldash and Barak Khan madrasahs.
However, after the establishment of Soviet power in the 1920-30s, a powerful anti-religious propaganda was launched. Hundreds of madrasahs and mosques were closed; pilgrimages were forbidden; not only believers but even supporters of folk customs and beliefs were persecuted. But, as in the case of other Muslim peoples of the Soviet Union, believers continued to pray secretly, celebrate religious holidays and perform rituals – in a word, to practice so-called “everyday Islam”.
With the collapse of the Soviet Union, uncontrolled processes in spiritual life of society began. Chaotic construction of mosques and madrasahs took place in almost every settlement of Uzbekistan, and the number of religious buildings could not be accurately counted. Religious schools were established at almost every mosque. The post-Soviet openness of society facilitated the intensive penetration of various Islamic organizations and a huge amount of Islamic literature into Uzbekistan.
An important step in restoring order in the religious sphere was the state registration of all religious organizations, including confessional educational institutions. Only 20 madrasahs were under the direct jurisdiction of the Administration of Muslims of Uzbekistan, although in 1992 the total number of institutions in the country exceeded one hundred. In many of them there was no teaching and methodological documentation at all. The emphasis was on mastering religious subjects; classes were conducted by unqualified specialists, and personal attitudes of teachers and graduates differed sharply from each other.
The state made considerable efforts to assist the Administration of Muslims of Uzbekistan in establishing order in the sphere of religious education. In legal terms, this was reflected in strengthening of legislation on the registration of madrasahs and the issuance of licenses, which led to the training of competent religious personnel in sufficient numbers. Diplomas of graduation from religious educational institutions were equated with state educational documents, allowing graduates to actively integrate into society. Today, these educational institutions, which teach both Islamic and secular sciences, constitute an important element of Uzbekistan’s system of specialized secondary and higher education.
The Tashkent Islamic Institute named after Imam Bukhari opened on 1 October 1971. At one time, it was the only higher Islamic educational institution in the entire USSR. Today the institute is located on the territory of Khazrati Imam architectural complex and spiritual monument. The educational institution has five departments: Islamic doctrine and jurisprudence, hadith studies and history, languages, social sciences and Quran memorization department. In 2018, the International Islamic Academy of Uzbekistan was founded on the basis of the institute. The academy’s extensive list of tasks is aimed at improving religious and educational activities in the country, and the world at large.
Some operating secondary Islamic educational institutions are unique architectural and historical monuments – the heritage of the Bukhara Khanate. For instance, the Kukeldash madrasah was built in the XVI century under the leadership of Vizier of Barak Khan and Dervish Khan, who received the nickname “kukeldash” (milk brother) for his closeness to the Bukhara rulers.
The Mir-i Arab madrasah in Bukhara was supposedly built by Sheikh Sayyid Abdullah al-Yamani at the expense of Bukhara Emir Ubaidullah Khan in the XVI century. For his profound knowledge of Sufism, the local population nicknamed the sheikh “Mir-i Arab”, which meant “Arab Emir”. The building is a part of the Po-i-Kalyan architectural complex. Graduates of the madrasah were prominent religious and state figures, including Ravil Gainutdin and Akhmad Kadyrov. In 2017, a higher madrasah of the same name, the first in the country, was established on the territory of the Bahauddin Naqshbandi Memorial Complex.
In the early XX century, a madrasah building was erected in the city of Namangan by prominent architect and philanthropist Mulla Kirghiz, which was later named after its founder. In 2016, the Mulla Kirghiz madrasah moved to a building on the Oromgoh massif and changed its name to Hidoya.
Most of Uzbekistan’s educational institutions began operating at the end of the XX century, shortly after the country gained independence. The Sayyid Muhyiddin Maxdum madrasah opened in 1992 and is one of the largest in the Fergana Valley. It bears the name of an authoritative expert of Islamic law and a fighter for the preservation of religious values, who was active in the 1920-30s. In 1992, the Fakhriddin al-Roziy, Khoja Bukhari and Muhammad ibn Ahmad al-Biruni madrasahs were also opened. The listed educational institutions are named in honor of great medieval scholars and thinkers who made a significant contribution not only to theology but also to natural sciences.
The Imam al-Bukhari International Centre, founded in 2008, is located next to the Imam Bukhari Memorial Complex in Payariq District of Samarkand Province. The centre was established to study the extensive heritage of Muhammad al-Bukhari, the founder of the science of hadith. It carries out scientific research and also organizes courses to improve the qualifications of imams. Along with young scholars from Uzbekistan, researchers from CIS countries, in particular Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan, also receive advanced training.
There are two women’s educational institutions under the authority of the Administration of Muslims of Uzbekistan. They are Hadichai Kubro in Tashkent and Jo’ybori Kalon in Bukhara. The bulk of the female students enrolled in them are graduates of general education schools. The main aim of these institutions is to provide students with knowledge and practical skills in religious studies with the qualification “Teacher of Behavioral Culture and Elementary Arabic”. The main task of women’s madrasahs is to train specialists who are well versed in the history of world religions, especially Islam. Along with religious disciplines, students study natural sciences, computer science, Arabic, Russian and English. Besides, there are some additional subjects such as sewing, cooking, medicine and others are taught which enables the graduates to take an even more active part in the social life of the country. Graduates of women’s madrasahs teach in schools and colleges the history of world religions, Arabic, rules of behavior, and work as advisers to committees on religious and moral education.
Today, religious policy in Uzbekistan is based on the principles of secular nature of the state and a tolerant and equal attitude to all religions. The true, peace-loving, tolerant essence of Islam is taught in the country’s Islamic specialized secondary educational establishments. The Administration of Muslims of Uzbekistan is on the way to restoring the former glory of the Central Asian region as a world theological centre.
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